IT has been another big week of campaigning in the seat of Lyne, so here is a summary of the releases received by Camden Haven News Of The Area.
Nationals candidate Alison Penfold has committed to establishing an Urgent Care Clinic “as soon as possible” in Taree if the Coalition is elected.
Ms Penfold also told NOTA the Coalition will deliver funding to resurface Coopernook’s basketball court as well as $180,000 for a new pumptrack at Coopernook Oval.
A further $300,000 contribution was promised towards construction of an all-abilities amenities block and associated infrastructure next to the grandstand at Wingham’s sports complex.
Ms Penfold also announced an $80,000 contribution towards capital works at the Kendall Showgrounds, focused on improving accessibility for users.
Independent candidate Jeremy Miller, called for Lyne to be the home of a “Local Energy Hub”, a “one stop shop where local residents can find out how to save on their energy bills and access grants and subsidies”.
Mr Miller also released the results of a survey undertaken by his campaign team, which highlights “the deep frustration relating to infrastructure and employment across the Lyne electorate”.
According to Mr Miller, 52 percent of residents surveyed reported serious mobile black spot issues, 31 percent of businesses reported struggling to hire qualified staff, 50 percent believe the local job market needs greater support, and 78 percent said local roads are in poor condition.
Labor candidate Digby Wilson meanwhile spruiked the Federal Government’s Universal Outdoor Mobile Obligation (UOMO), which requires mobile carriers to provide access to mobile voice and SMS almost everywhere across Australia.
Using Low Earth Orbit Satellite (LEOSat) technology, Mr Wilson said UOMO adds a vital layer of redundancy when land-based networks fail.
“I saw firsthand the critical role of communications during the 2019 and 2020 bushfires,” he said.
“As Chair of Telstra’s Emergency Council, we coordinated satellite phone drops from ADF helicopters into cut-off communities when all other systems failed.
“This technology proved its worth in January 2025, enabling thousands of messages to be sent during the Los Angeles wildfires by people using their own unmodified mobile phones.”
Libertarian candidate Mark Hornshaw, announced he had received the political endorsement of three former Lyne candidates – former Greens candidate Karl Attenborough, former UAP candidate Joel Putland and former Workers Party candidate Ed Caruana.
The trio publicly expressed their support at a Libertarian Party Community Forum in Wauchope on Wednesday, 9 April.
“We need a radical new approach that puts locals first and gets politicians and bureaucrats off our backs,” Mr Hornshaw said.
“It is heartening to see people joining us from across the political spectrum.”
Support also came from Michael O’Neill, leader of the HEART Party, who is running for a seat in the Senate.
